Latest news with #A1.6m
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fans fume over De Minaur and Katie Boulter snub days after Aussie's triumph
Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter will be hoping to get one of the final two places left in the US Open mixed doubles comp after being snubbed from the first round of selections, days after the Aussie won the Citi Open title. The US Open has made a controversial change to the mixed doubles in 2025 with singles ranked players earning preference into the main draw. The winners of the reduced 16 team competition will take home $1 million ($A1.6m) and the tournament will take place the week before the official US Open main card. There has been backlash over the decision to change the format with the combined singles rankings deciding eight teams. This means lower ranked players, who often rely on prize money from mixed doubles at grand slams to survive, have been largely excluded. But it hasn't deterred huge names such as Aryna Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz entering the competition. De Minaur and Boulter also entered their name in the competition, but missed out on automatic selection because their combined singles ranking was 53 at the time. Despite being fresh off his win at the Citi Open this week, de Minaur and Boulter have missed out on the first six wildcard positions with only two left. American teams were heavily favoured in the wildcard entry with Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka earning a ticket, while popular team Emma Raducanu and Alcaraz also gained entry. Djokovic was granted a wildcard with partner Olga Danilovich and last year's mixed doubles champs Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori made it. Unfortunately, de Minaur and Boulter will have to wait to see if they get one of the final two positions at a later date. But de Minaur has moved to express his interest in the competition and pleaded with the US Open to give them an opportunity. "Katie and I would like to ask for a WC pretty, pretty please," he wrote on social after learning they had missed out on initial selection. While British and Australian fans would like to see de Minaur and Boulter team up again, which hasn't happened officially since Wimbledon 2023, many feel for the mixed doubles pairs that have missed out. Katie and I would like to ask for a WC pretty pretty please 🙏😢 — alex de minaur (@alexdeminaur) July 30, 2025 While 2 places are still open in the new 16 team US Open mixed doubles event, it's surprising not to see Alex De Minaur and Katie Boulter already in the lineup. The field presently has 6 players who have been singles No1's and 9 who have won singles majors. — Craig Gabriel (@crosscourt1) July 29, 2025 Please add Boulter and De Minaur 🙏 — Gerard (@gstzombie) July 29, 2025 Tennis calls out US Open mixed doubles event The format changes have been heavily criticised among fans and the players. Dedicated doubles and mixed doubles players no longer have another avenue of playing in a grand slam and earning money at the US Open. Many of the lower ranked players were getting by on the tour thanks to entering mixed doubles competitions and earning money. Grand slams are the highest paying tournaments for these players. The US Open halving the number of pairs and favouring singles rankings has all but ended any chance of lower ranked tennis players earning money at Flushing Meadows. This has seen the tournament face backlash to their decision, which goes against tennis tradition. When the US Open announced the changes, Aussie mixed doubles player Ellen Perez led the frustration. The Aussie is World No.19 in doubles, but currently unranked in singles. The 29-year-old joined the chorus of players unleashing on the rule changes having suggested the US Open has disrespected the tradition of tennis. Tell us that you think doubles players are trash, that tradition is overrated and job opportunity is a thing of the past without actually saying it. 🤡👏 — Ellen Perez (@EllenPerez95) February 11, 2025 Alex de Minaur wins Citi Open title While de Minaur may have been deflated him and his fiancee were not selected in the first round of selections for the US Open, he would be elated having won the Citi Open in Washington earlier this week. De Minaur came from behind to beat Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Fokina was in tears after the match with de Minaur saving three championship points on his way to the three-set victory. De Minaur noticed how distraught his opponent was and immediately went to console him. The Aussie was seen sitting next to Fikona before wrapping an arm around his opponent and offering some words of encouragement. Tennis fans and commentators were blown away by de Minaur's gesture, which came before he even properly celebrated the victory with the trophy.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Aussie tennis fave blasts 'trash' move as US Open makes savage $1.6m change
Aussie tennis star Ellen Perez has joined the chorus of anger towards the US Open after the tournament announced changes to the mixed doubles format in 2025. The US Open has made sweeping changes to mixed doubles having moved the competition a week ahead of the main card draw. The prize money has also seen a significant increase. Last year, Italian duo Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori took home $200,000 ($A320,000) for winning the grand slam. However, in a huge bonus the 2025 winners will pocket $1 million ($A1.6m) in a big incentive for players to compete. In an attempt to shine more attention on mixed doubles, the competition will now take place during the fan week and each match will be shortened. The match will remain best of three sets, but only played to four games. The third set will be a super tiebreak. And in a highly-controversial decision the draw will now feature 16 pairs, which is half that of 2024. Eight pairs will earn direct entry via their combined singles ranking, while the other eight will be wildcard entries. This suggests the US Open wants to draw in higher-ranked singles players to compete in the tournament. Higher-ranked singles players would be more likely to enter, a week before their singles draw starts, because of the boosted prize money. This would allow them to focus on their singles draw without a clash of commitments. While the move might appeal to fans and higher-ranked players, the tennis community has been left fuming at the decision. The appeal for singles players to compete in mixed doubles, with less pairs eligible, would mean lower ranked players won't get a chance to enter. Many of the lower ranked players outside the top 50 rely on money from doubles and mixed doubles to survive throughout the year. With less teams and more singles players competing, lower-ranked players will be excluded altogether. Grand slam tournaments offer the biggest prize money for players and this will be seen as a blow for mixed doubles specialists. Aussie star John Peers recently won the Australian Open mixed doubles title with Olivia Gadecki. He also won the US Open mixed doubles title in 2022 with Storm Hunter. Peers could be one of the favourites to win the mixed doubles and take home career-changing prize money. However, his entry into the US Open is unclear with the new format prioritising singles players and wildcards. Another player who has been left dumbfounded at the announcement is Aussie mixed doubles player Perez. The Aussie is World No.9 in doubles, but currently unranked in singles. And the 29-year-old joined the chorus of players unleashing on the rule changes having suggested the US Open has disrespected the tradition of tennis. Tell us that you think doubles players are trash, that tradition is overrated and job opportunity is a thing of the past without actually saying it. 🤡👏 — Ellen Perez (@EllenPerez95) February 11, 2025 Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori comment the decision made by the US Open about the mixed doubles — Mario Boccardi (@marioboc17) February 11, 2025 Terrible decision not to let the doubles Players play the mixed doubles at the @usopen 👎 — EdouardRogerVasselin (@ERogerVasselin) February 11, 2025 No communication with the players, no thought behind what it means to some peoples careers, no respect to the history and traditions. Sad to see. 🎪 — Jan Zielinski (@zielaczekk) February 11, 2025 Sets to 4 games in a Grand Slam? 16 teams with 8 based on singles rankings and 8 wildcards. I'm sorry, but the US Open now will not produce a bona fide mixed doubles winner. Devalued from a Grand Slam title to an exo. Let's just say I'm in shock 😳 — 🎗️ Paul McNamee (@PaulFMcNamee) February 11, 2025 Interesting 😜 — Holger Rune (@holgerrune2003) February 11, 2025 Last year's US Open mixed doubles winners Errani and Vavassori also took aim at the format and labelled it a 'disrespectful' move. Doubles great Kristina Mladenovic, a nine-time grand slam champ, claimed the decision was "terribly shocking". "Doing that just to sell more money during first week of the event," Mladenovic posted on Instagram. "Making it look like an exhibition for whoever wants to play! What about players playing singles Q that want/could with their doubles ranking play mixed?" While there has been plenty of frustration wth the new format, US Tennis Association CEO Lew Sherr claimed the competition will bring more excitement to the format. "What I would say is the reason behind this is to appeal to more fans and grow the fan base around the world," Sherr said. "But the way to do that is to have the biggest names in the sport participating in doubles, and to showcase them teaming up and playing in a different format, we think is exciting. In fact, we know it's exciting."
